@alfalcone: I'm not saying Casey is just an H-Back, but that's the role he plays for the Texans now and he thrives in it. A guy like Casey was just my example because of how versatile he is.

Fair enough, all I was suggesting is that Casey is one of the most underutilized players in the NFL. I think he could be used very similarly to how the Patriots used Aaron Hernandez last year, slot receiver, blocker, a few hand offs._________________http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=506443

The only team right now that would justify Leach's salary would be either SF or Minnesota - teams that run the ball a lot more than they pass and rely heavily on the run game. Not us. We are more versatile than that.

Maybe. Minnesota passes it more than they run though. Seattles actually has the biggest discrepancy in that category. Who knows what kind of system the new offensive coordinator will implement though? I'm guessing it's going to be something different enough that we will be able to easily notice the changes but we won't know anything about that until they actually name a new guy to the position. To be honest I would be more comfortable with them building around the running game.

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If you don't buy it, then that's fine, but go look at team's roster and look at their FB spots and you'll see that most of them are converted TE's who couldn't catch passes but could block, but are more athletic than guys like Leach.

Just because they're converted TEs doesn't really make them a H-back, at least not what I'm thinking of. I define it as a guy that does everything well but more so as an option in the passing game. Guys who are converted TEs because they couldn't catch is pretty much the opposite of that. Does Leach really need to be more athletic for what he does anyways?

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They're guys who just do the dirty work and nothing else.

There is a price for having the best in the league at doing the dirty work. And yes there is enough of a difference between Leach and X cheap player that makes it worth the difference in salaries. It's not exactly crippling the team for free agency either. You act like he has one of the worst contracts in the league.

He doesn't have one of the worst contracts, but imo he's severely overpaid for the amount of snaps he plays and for what he does.

All I'm saying is that in today's NFL, you can go out and find some cheap rookie who is an average pass catcher and average blocker but more athletic than Leach and put him as an H-back and from that kind of look you can mix up your looks instead of "Leach is in the game, time to load the box".

So, actually by playing that player instead of Leach, you're getting more for less._________________#FireDeanPees...and Chris Hewitt....and Matt Weiss

Leach is in for more than just running plays though. He pass-protects and goes out into the flats sometimes. Like I said before Leach doesn't do much with the ball in his hands but he does have fairly good hands for a FB and only has 6 less receptions on the year than Jones. Obviously somebody, almost anybody, else would be more of a threat to pick up some yardage but the thought that leach is just a run-blocker and can't do anything else isn't true. The more I think about it the more I take back what I wrote earlier in the first post I made about Leach that said he was one-dimensional. He's at least an average pass-catcher and an elite blocker.

Leach is in for more than just running plays though. He pass-protects and goes out into the flats sometimes. Like I said before Leach doesn't do much with the ball in his hands but he does have fairly good hands for a FB and only has 6 less receptions on the year than Jones. Obviously somebody, almost anybody, else would be more of a threat to pick up some yardage but the thought that leach is just a run-blocker and can't do anything else isn't true. The more I think about it the more I take back what I wrote earlier in the first post I made about Leach that said he was one-dimensional. He's at least an average pass-catcher and an elite blocker.

And he also has some rushing ability to him. I'd say he's an average power runner.

Our short yardage rushing was horrid before he arrived and has at least improved to decent since he arrived... now if we can only get better run blocking from the left side of our line than we'd be straight._________________

When Asa Jackson was suspended, did it open a roster spot? I find the Kindle cutting very odd timing, but it coincides with Asa Jackson coming back from his suspension. If he didn't take a roster spot during his suspension, maybe they're bringing him back on for STs and cutting a guy like Adrian Hamilton and trying to re-sign him to the PS again?_________________

I think it will be a priority to sign elm street long term this off season.. He's finally becoming the player a lot of us hoped he would become and pass rushers are hard to come by.. With a healthy Suggs and Kruger playing at a high level our d will be almost back to our old days... I think Webb and ckykie brown would be a good starting cb duo. Lets draft us a ilb and a tackle and we will be good to go

I think it will be a priority to sign elm street long term this off season.. He's finally becoming the player a lot of us hoped he would become and pass rushers are hard to come by.. With a healthy Suggs and Kruger playing at a high level our d will be almost back to our old days... I think Webb and ckykie brown would be a good starting cb duo. Lets draft us a ilb and a tackle and we will be good to go

Yup, I just cannot see this team letting Kruger walk. I can't. Not with the way pass rushers are regarded in this league, and with Suggs getting up there in age and who knows what he's going to be like next year (if he's even healthy by then), we HAVE to sign Kruger.

For next year, we need to fill voids at ILB (Lewis retiring, Ellerbe/McClain hitting FA), FS (Reed likely retiring), and DL (who knows what we have at NT right now, and we need a LE).

I think Chykie Brown is DEFINITELY showing something to the coaches to prepare himself to be a starter next year, along with Corey Graham and obviously Webb. Hopefully Jimmy Smith can figure his act out and play like a 1st rounder, or else he's pretty much done for._________________#FireDeanPees...and Chris Hewitt....and Matt Weiss

I think it will be a priority to sign elm street long term this off season.. He's finally becoming the player a lot of us hoped he would become and pass rushers are hard to come by.. With a healthy Suggs and Kruger playing at a high level our d will be almost back to our old days... I think Webb and ckykie brown would be a good starting cb duo. Lets draft us a ilb and a tackle and we will be good to go

Yup, I just cannot see this team letting Kruger walk. I can't. Not with the way pass rushers are regarded in this league, and with Suggs getting up there in age and who knows what he's going to be like next year (if he's even healthy by then), we HAVE to sign Kruger.

For next year, we need to fill voids at ILB (Lewis retiring, Ellerbe/McClain hitting FA), FS (Reed likely retiring), and DL (who knows what we have at NT right now, and we need a LE).

I think Chykie Brown is DEFINITELY showing something to the coaches to prepare himself to be a starter next year, along with Corey Graham and obviously Webb. Hopefully Jimmy Smith can figure his act out and play like a 1st rounder, or else he's pretty much done for.

It will all come down to $$ like it always does -- right player, right price. I like Kruger and think we should try to keep him -- but I don't view him as a $10M/year player which is likely what he'll get._________________

I think it will be a priority to sign elm street long term this off season.. He's finally becoming the player a lot of us hoped he would become and pass rushers are hard to come by.. With a healthy Suggs and Kruger playing at a high level our d will be almost back to our old days... I think Webb and ckykie brown would be a good starting cb duo. Lets draft us a ilb and a tackle and we will be good to go

Yup, I just cannot see this team letting Kruger walk. I can't. Not with the way pass rushers are regarded in this league, and with Suggs getting up there in age and who knows what he's going to be like next year (if he's even healthy by then), we HAVE to sign Kruger.

For next year, we need to fill voids at ILB (Lewis retiring, Ellerbe/McClain hitting FA), FS (Reed likely retiring), and DL (who knows what we have at NT right now, and we need a LE).

I think Chykie Brown is DEFINITELY showing something to the coaches to prepare himself to be a starter next year, along with Corey Graham and obviously Webb. Hopefully Jimmy Smith can figure his act out and play like a 1st rounder, or else he's pretty much done for.

It will all come down to $$ like it always does -- right player, right price. I like Kruger and think we should try to keep him -- but I don't view him as a $10M/year player which is likely what he'll get.

Well if we let him walk you can escalate pass rusher to our #1 draft need, as usual _________________#FireDeanPees...and Chris Hewitt....and Matt Weiss